Another small time hop and a bit of a shock that some of you may hate me for...please don't.
Chapter 50
"There's mail for you two on the kitchen bench." Patrick said as he heard Timothy and Bernadette enter the house. The biggest advantage of having given up General Practice three years previously was that most days he was able to manage his time to be able to pick the girls up from school each afternoon. He had been surprised by how much he genuinely loved spending more time with his daughters, they were a constant joy to him. At 61 he felt like he had the best of both worlds, he was still actively involved in the obstetric side of the practice but was able to spend time with his family. "Looks like it could be your hospital placement letters."
Timothy and Bernadette looked at each other. They grabbed their letters and headed towards the stairs. "Just let us open them dad and then we'll come up and tell you where we are headed." Timothy said hoping his father wouldn't be offended.
"Of course son. You and Bernadette take as long as you need." Patrick understood completely. There was a chance, however small, that they could be assigned hospitals outside London and he knew they had discussed the possibility. If they were posted too far apart one of them would have to defer their two year placement in order to remain together. It was something the whole family was hoping wouldn't happen. "Your mother should be home any minute, dinner will be in an hour."
"Did you cook?" Timothy asked unable to hide his horror at the thought.
Patrick smiled. "No, you're safe tonight. Mum put the crockpot on before she left for work."
Tim grinned and grabbed Bernadette's hand as they headed down the stairs.
They sat opposite each other on the bed, each holding their letter.
"On three?" Bernadette asked.
"On three." Timothy agreed.
They counted and both tore into their letters and quickly scanned the contents. They looked up at each other hoping to be able to read the other one's expression.
"You first." Tim said.
Bernadette took a deep breath. They had both applied for the exchange program to Australia but agreed they would only go if they both got it and were placed in the same city. They knew the likelihood of that happening was almost nil but felt they should at least apply. When Bernadette initially read her letter she felt a surge of excitement.
"Sydney, Australia or The London if I don't accept. You?"
Timothy grinned from ear to ear. "Sydney, Australia or Chelsea and Westminster if I don't accept."
They both sat staring at each other, neither really sure what to say. This wasn't actually a scenario they thought would ever happen.
"Goodness." Bernadette finally said.
"'dette?" Timothy asked wanting to know what she was thinking. "Do you still want to go? We don't have to, we both have great back up hospitals in London if you don't."
"I honestly didn't for a second think we would both get it, let alone in the same city. Australia is a big place." She said quietly. "I will miss everyone terribly, but it is an amazing opportunity and it is only for two years. Professor Williams did say whoever gets accepted can pretty much chose their hospital when they qualify."
"I keep thinking of how much we will miss if we are away for two years. But what an adventure."
"So we're accepting?" Bernadette asked.
"I'm keen if you are. But 'dette, honestly if you don't want to, if you think you will miss everyone too much I am very, very happy with Chelsea and Westminster." Timothy told her sincerely.
Bernadette leaned forward and kissed him. "I will miss everyone, just as you will but I think this is too big an opportunity to turn down and I will have the most important person there with me."
"Now we just have to work out how to break it to mum and dad." Tim groaned.
"And Elizabeth and Matthew". Bernadette agreed.
"And Angela, Katie and Claire." They both said together.
…
"I called in to see Sister Julienne on my way home. Patrick she is very poorly. I know John is doing his best for her but I think she would much prefer a familiar face. Do you think you and Claire could pop around tomorrow under the guise of a friendly visit. I think perhaps she may need to see a specialist." Shelagh said worriedly as she sat at the dinner table once everyone had been served.
"Sis Julie!" Three year old Claire said excitedly.
"I want to go too." Katherine said petulantly.
"If Sis Julie is not well she isn't going to want all of us visiting". Angela said with twelve year old wisdom. "Let daddy make her better and then we can visit."
Patrick's heart sank. Sister Julienne had confided in him two months ago when the cancer had first been diagnosed and begged him not to tell Shelagh until such time as they could no longer keep it from her. It looked like that time was rapidly approaching.
"Of course I'll call in on her love."
Tim and Bernadette looked at each other worriedly. How were they going to tell her that they were moving to Australia for two years when she was already so worried about Sister Julienne.
Patrick noticed the look pass between the two and suspected it had something to do with the letters they had received that afternoon. As soon as dinner was finished he sent the three girls upstairs for baths and told them he would be up when they were finished to read a story.
"Alright, out with it you two. You have been shooting worried looks at each other all through dinner and quite frankly it was stopping me from enjoying my casserole."
"We got our placement letters this afternoon mum." Timothy explained.
"Oh dear, have you been posted some distance from each other. We knew it was always a possibility but I would have thought the university would have considered your marriage when placing you."
Timothy reached out for his mother's hand. "No mum, we have actually been placed in the same city."
Shelagh felt relief wash through her but Patrick watched the young couple and sensed there was more.
"But you haven't been placed in London have you?" He asked quietly.
Tim should have known his father would pick up on the fact they hadn't mentioned being placed in London hospitals.
"No. No we haven't." He confessed.
"Then where?" Shelagh asked, hoping it wasn't so far away that they couldn't visit. Perhaps Patrick would let them take the old MG that he still couldn't bear to part with, so they could come home occasionally on weekends.
"Sydney." Bernadette told them.
"Australia." Timothy finished.
Shelagh and Patrick sat at the table in stunned silence. They had known the young couple had applied for the exchange program but had never actually considered it a real possibility. Patrick recovered first.
"I take it you are planning to accept?"
"Honestly dad neither of us ever thought we would be accepted let alone placed in the same city." Tim said.
"It's an amazing opportunity." Bernadette added quietly.
"And two years will fly by." Tim said trying to convince them.
"When do you leave?" Shelagh asked. She wasn't quite sure what to feel. The logical part of her knew this was too big a chance to pass up but the maternal side of her was screaming NO! How would she survive not having them close by for two years? She knew eventually they would move out of the downstairs rooms, it was only right that the young couple would want to make their own way in the world but she had thought she would have at least another two years before she had to face them not living under the same roof.
Bernadette and Timothy looked at each other before Timothy answered. "We had the choice of starting next month or in January. We thought we would come away to the seaside with all the family and then leave."
Shelagh's heart once again screamed NO! They left for their summer holiday in two weeks, less than a month and she would not see them for two years. She took a breath and moved to clear the dirty plates off the table. Timothy looked after her worriedly as she moved into the kitchen and turned to his father.
"It's alright Tim, just give her some time. I expect you and Bernadette would like to go out and celebrate. I promise your mother will be fine by morning." Patrick left the young couple and headed into the kitchen.
Shelagh was running water into the sink to wash up but she appeared to be just staring into space as he moved behind her and wrapped her in his loving arms. Shelagh instinctively turned and buried her head in his chest to try and muffle the sobs that she could no longer keep in.
"I know love, let it out." Patrick soothed.
Once she had collected herself Shelagh felt a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry dear. I don't know what came over me, the worry over Sister Julienne and now a piece of my heart will be spending two years on the other side of the world. Oh Patrick I shall miss them dreadfully!"
"I know love, so will I but Tim's right two years will fly by." Shelagh wasn't sure who he was trying to convince more, her or himself.
…
Sister Julienne and Shelagh sat on the deck of the house watching everyone playing in the water. The sun loungers they occupied were unofficially known as theirs as neither was partial to the water but got such enjoyment watching their family.
"Your family has bought me such joy, I shall miss you all terribly." Sister Julienne said as she clasped Shelagh's hand in hers. Shelagh looked at her as a feeling of foreboding settled in her stomach. "Once we return from our holiday I will be moving back to the mother house." She admitted quietly.
"Oh no Sister. Why?" Shelagh felt her already fractured heart break a tiny bit more.
"You know I've not been well for a number of months. I'm afraid it appears to be more serious than a I initially thought." She confessed.
"Sister?" Shelagh asked fairly sure she did not want to hear the answer.
"I have been diagnosed with bowel cancer my dear." Sister Julienne felt the relief of confession. She had not liked keeping this from the daughter of her heart but had not wanted to burden the younger woman until all the appropriate tests had been run and a course of treatment decided upon. "I'm afraid it is inoperable and I have decided to not undergo any other treatment. I shall spend my final days surrounded by my Sisters." As Sister Julienne spoke Shelagh felt as though she were hearing the words underwater, this couldn't be happening. How could God punish one of His most loving servants in this way? How could Sister Julienne be refusing treatment, why would she not want to try and take every last minute she could. It was then Shelagh realised the real reason Sister Julienne intended to return to the Mother House.
"Does Patrick know?" Shelagh asked quietly.
"Yes. Yes he arranged for me to see the appropriate specialists as soon as possible and has accompanied me to all my appointments. He has been…he ….. I don't know what I would have done without him to be honest." Shelagh felt a surge of anger that they had both kept this from her. As soon as she felt it though she pushed it back down knowing that Patrick would only have kept this from her if Sister Julienne had insisted on it and Sister Julienne would have seen it as burdening her.
"And what does he think?"
"He wants me to try chemotherapy. It won't cure me but he thinks it will prolong my time." Sister Julienne sighed. She had initially agreed but after thinking about the amount of care she would need during and after the treatments she realised that she could not ask that of her two Sisters on top of their already busy schedules.
"Then that is what we must do." Shelagh said firmly. "I will speak to Sister Jesu Emmanuelle myself. Patrick and I will look after you. We will turn Patrick's office into a bedroom for you so you do not have to manage the stairs. I will not hear of you leaving for Chichester. You are ill and you will stay with your family." Shelagh knew she may have a fight on her hands, after all the other nuns were Sister Julienne's family too but she would require nursing and specialist care and the best place for that would be London.
